For both Newcastle officials and this hack in particular it’s been a case of burning candles at both ends due to the time difference.

McClaren has stayed in touch with events in the UK on transfers by night and worked with the team tirelessly on the training fields of Milwaukee, Sacramento and Portland by day.

As he walked out of the locker room at Providence Park to fulfil his media duties, McClaren quips: “What day is it again!”

Yes, it’s been that type of tour but Newcastle have been out here to work hard.

Players have eaten together and team spirit has been built up, but unlike the Alan Pardew era there have been no social jaunts in the States and no pictures of the ilk of an infamous trip to Tenerife a few years back just before an FA Cup tie at Brighton.

Anybody who has witnessed Newcastle in the States can see how hard this group of players and staff have worked.

It would be easy to think the life of football backroom staff is a glamour role.

But replicating the same support mechanisms placed around players at home isn’t easy.

With 25 or so players on tour each player has their own needs and requirements and while Stateside professional teams pretty much have one person looking after each individual player as they look to be the very best, that simply isn’t part of British sporting culture.

Each morning every set of boots, kit and appropriate fluid ahead of training has been laid out in the exact same spot as back at the club’s Benton base a mere 4,686 miles away.

Siem De Jong #10 of Newcastle United takes a corner during a friendly match against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park

McClaren reflected on the tour and told the Chronicle: “We don’t realise the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes.

“The staff from day one have been absolutely magnificent.

“They’ve taken on board what we have been doing.

“The work they do behind the scenes to make it so smooth for the players, we take for granted.

“But there’s a lot of work.

“The medical team, the masseurs, the kit men and the coaches make it an easier trip.

“I have to credit the players and staff.”

Newcastle’s last trip to the United States was littered with problems.

Moussa Sissoko #7 of Newcastle United battles Nick Besler #27 of the Portland Timbers during a friendly match at Providence Park

A torn-up pitch in Orlando, players losing the plot on Twitter like Jose Enrique, injuries seeing players flying home while replacements like then youngster Paul Dummett found themselves enduring an eight hour layover in Amsterdam Airport.

But it has been plain sailing here this time.

McClaren said: “I know these trips and they can get pretty tough and pretty hard.

“The boys have handled it very well and handled each game very well.

“The goal in the last game was to get no injuries and we done that.

“I think we know each other far, far more now than we did 10 days ago.

“In that respect it’s been good especially for us fresh in.”

Newcastle will now hope that smooth evolution under McClaren continues going into their next few games against Sheff United, York and Borussia Monchengladbach.